A New Day Has Come
by Rocky Gems
Summary: After a heartbreaking turn of events, Ashitaka journeys with Yakul across the sea to lands unknown. Meanwhile, Eragon and Saphira have been working hard to help restore peace to Alagaësia in the years following the war. Although fate has led to their meeting, Eragon and Ashitaka must decide for themselves where to go from here... (crossover ship, AU)
1. Chapter 1

Hello! Long time no see! I've been busy with all sorts of good stuff, and now I'm finally ready to post my first true, independent multi-chapter fanfic! Alright, I posted some of it on deviantART already, but whatever. Cheesy as it sounds, this is a story I've wanted to tell for years, ever since that fateful day I filled out that stupid shipping meme on deviantART... Ah, memories. Anyway, I probably don't have to say it, but this is **very much** an AU. The events of _Princess Mononoke_ remain untouched, but the _Inheritance Cycle_ timeline has been slightly altered in a way that I will address at a later date. For now, though, sit back and relax, and I shall tell you the tale... 

* * *

Yakul marched through the forest, filled with determination. It had been almost half a day since he last saw his human emerge from the shelter of the cave. Although Ashitaka had been calm in the face of danger, as he had so many times before, things were very different now…

Ashitaka had been acting strangely for quite a while now, but ever since the pair had entered this labyrinthine mountain forest several weeks previously, it seemed like something was genuinely wrong with him. He ate less frequently, and barely offered any input as to where he wanted Yakul to go. When he wasn't riding Yakul, Ashitaka would often wander aimlessly, lost in his own thoughts. Needless to say, these uncharacteristic behaviors were more than a little shocking to the elk.

Everything finally came to a head one evening, when Ashitaka was taking another one of his walks. After arriving near a fast-moving stream at the base of a cliff, the young man had dismounted and removed Yakul's tack, as per usual. Yakul couldn't help but notice how thin Ashitaka had become over the past few weeks. His eyes appeared sunken and dull, and well-worn travelling clothes hung loosely on his once-athletic frame.

Though Ashitaka's walks usually gave Yakul time to himself to graze and relax after a long day's travel, some instinct told Yakul that, this time, he should follow. For the most part, the young man's walk was uneventful. He wandered through the fragrant pine trees, past a clearing of nearly ripe blackberry bushes, before doubling back toward the stream. All the while, he seemed completely oblivious to the large red elk just a little ways behind him.

Luckily for Ashitaka, this particular mountain stream happened to have a few large boulders forming a natural, makeshift bridge, as he seemed completely oblivious to the sudden change in terrain. He was snapped back to reality, however, when he stepped directly not onto rock, but a slick patch of river moss. Before Yakul could even react, Ashitaka completely lost his footing and, with a yelp of surprise, plunged sideways into the rushing stream.

The water ran deeper and faster than it seemed, for the young man could barely keep his head above surface, nor could he swim to shore, especially in his weakened state. The moment Ashitaka hit the water, though; brave, loyal Yakul was leaping right in after him.

Reaching the human was a lot more difficult than Yakul had anticipated. It seemed like every time the elk swam closer to him, Ashitaka slipped further downstream. Although Yakul was large enough for his hooves to find purchase on the rocky streambed, Ashitaka was helpless against the raging current, which threw his body against submerged rocks and logs as easily as any other debris.

Suddenly, the sound of rushing water began to intensify. Just ahead, the stream sharply gave way at the edge of a bluff, creating a short but steep waterfall. Although his loyalty to Ashitaka was strong, powerful animal instinct drove Yakul to haul himself out of the stream. If he was quick, perhaps he could save Ashitaka from shore.

Rushing ahead, Yakul held out his horns as far as he could over the stream, just as Ashitaka passed beneath them. The young man grabbed his left hand, then his right, but all he caught was air. Meeting his attempted rescuer's gaze with wide, terrified eyes, Ashitaka had no choice but to brace him for the drop.

Scrambling down the rocks, Yakul frantically scanned the pond for signs of life. The waterfall wasn't all that high, but enough so that survival was no guarantee, and the rocks at the bottom didn't help. Fortunately, only a few seconds passed before Ashitaka resurfaced, coughing and spitting water.

Filled with relief, Yakul waded out to meet his human. Although his near-death experience had clearly taken its toll, Ashitaka gently smiled and stroked Yakul's muzzle before hoisting himself onto the elk's back. As he did so, Ashitaka let out a sharp, involuntary scream, nearly causing Yakul to jump out of his skin.

Looking back at his rider, Yakul smelled the blood before he saw it. Below the knee, Ashitaka's right leg hung down limply, with red stains appearing on his tan leggings. Yakul's ears folded back anxiously; for as long as they'd been together, Yakul could only remember a handful of times Ashitaka had been injured badly enough to show weakness. Not even taking an iron bullet through the chest had stopped him from calmly helping his friend, San, escape from Iron Town the year before. Ever since he and Ashitaka last saw San and her wolves, though, Yakul had noticed more vulnerability in the young man, mentally and physically.

Rather than allowing Ashitaka to risk injuring himself further, Yakul carried him out of the water, the young man slung across the elk's back like a hunter's prize. Taking shelter beneath a dry overhang near the base of the falls, Yakul lay down on his belly to allow Ashitaka to slide off. Though injured and weak, Ashitaka managed to pull himself into a sitting position against his elk. He winced and rubbed his left wrist as he did so; it was definitely broken in the fall, as well as one of his ribs. However, Ashitaka had more pressing injuries to attend to, and he turned his attention to his leg.

As the young man pulled the boot from his injured foot, Yakul's nostrils flared at the sight of the watered-down blood spilling from the soft leather. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Ashitaka rolled up his pants-leg to reveal swollen, bruised flesh, and worst of all, a bloody gash on his shin through which a pale sliver of bone could be seen.

Dread filled both man and elk alike. An injury such as this, even ignoring the fact that walking was now impossible, could easily become infected and prove fatal if not cleaned and dressed properly. However, all of Ashitaka's survival gear was in Yakul's saddlebags, which were now lying on the ground all the way upstream.

With no way of treating his injuries and dusk fast approaching, there seemed to be little choice in what Ashitaka could do. Turning toward Yakul, he wrapped his arms around the elk's neck, gently stroking the thick, red fur. When he finally let go, Yakul saw tears forming in the corners of Ashitaka's grey-blue eyes.

"Thank you for everything, my friend." The young man's voice quivered with emotion, but he remained calm as ever. "Please don't worry about me. Just promise me you'll live the best life you can. If anyone deserves to, it's you."

Being an elk, Yakul couldn't understand much of what humans had to say, but the way Ashitaka spoke to him now filled him with dread. Turning away from Yakul, the young man began to drag himself toward a small cave at the base of the cliff, disappearing from sight into the tomb-like structure. This wasn't unusual behavior for Ashitaka, who often slept in natural shelters when he could find him, though this time Yakul was very uncomfortable letting his human leave his side. Eventually, exhaustion got the better of the red elk, and he drifted off to sleep.

When morning came, Yakul was the first to wake up. After a quick drink from the pool beneath the waterfall and a few mouthfuls of grass, he poked his head into the cave to check on Ashitaka. Though nothing was visible in the darkness of the hollow, Yakul could tell all he needed to know with just his ears and nose, confirming his worst fears. Though Ashitaka was still breathing, it was shallow and labored. The sour smell of infection and dried blood hung like a shroud in the cramped space.

Finally, it all made sense to Yakul. Ashitaka was going to die. Just like a sick or wounded animal, he had hidden himself away, quietly waiting for nature to take its course.

Well, Yakul wouldn't stand for it. He and Ashitaka had survived a lot worse, and this time would be no different. It had to be. It couldn't end here, and certainly not like this!

Though he was no animal god or forest spirit, Yakul was still quite intelligent for a simple red elk. He knew that the only reason humans were able to recover from injuries and illnesses that might otherwise prove fatal was, in fact, other humans! If Yakul had the ability to do so, he would have laughed at such an obvious solution: all he had to do was find another human, lead him or her to the cave, and that person could heal Ashitaka. Of course!

From the pool at the base of the waterfall, the stream continued eastward, down the slope of the hill. Since Yakul knew that humans usually built their homes along rivers, and that he hadn't seen any living along this particular one so far, there was a good chance that there might be a farm or village built further downstream. With one last glance at his companion's rocky shelter, Yakul set off. If he knew how, he would have prayed that it wasn't too late.


	2. Chapter 2

p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Don't run too far ahead, Ismira! Remember what your mother said!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Although he had lost count of how many times he'd had to warn his daughter not to leave him behind, Roran couldn't help but secretly be impressed by the little girl's self-confidence as she giggled cheekily and dashed out from behind a tree. Born shortly after the Empire's defeat, Ismira was free to grow up without any of the fears her parents had had when they were younger./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Now, at nearly four years of age, the copper-haired girl was the very image of health and happiness. It seemed as if neither Ismira's energy nor curiosity ever ran out, and to her parents, keeping the girl occupied was not as easy as they imagined it would be. Since it was such a beautiful late summer morning, Roran decided that a long walk in the foothills of the Spine was the perfect bonding activity for himself and Ismira. Preparing for the harvest had left him little time to spend with his young daughter lately, so Roran had been nearly as excited for this outing as she was!/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" As they approached one of the Spine's many glacial streams, Roran was suddenly acutely aware of how quiet Ismira had become. Although he couldn't always see her through the undergrowth, Roran could easily tell where his daughter was by listening for her crunching through the fallen leaves or humming a new song she'd made up on the spot, so the lack of noise was more than a little alarming./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Fortunately, the young father did not have to go far to discover the cause of the silence. As Roran approached the stream, Ismira crept backwards towards him, pressing a finger to her lips and pointing at something on the other side. Roran crouched down to meet his daughter's gaze, expecting to see a bear cub, or perhaps an especially colorful bird. When his gaze finally rested upon the creature Ismira was pointing at, Roran couldn't help but softly gasp./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" As the breeze shifted to directly behind the two hikers, the animal, which was now downwind of them, raised its head and looked at the two humans with curious intent, its large ears twitching as it focused. It was a large, red-and-cream furred animal, roughly the size of a small horse. Although a long pair of goat-like horns sprouted from the creature's head, its general appearance was more akin to that of a stocky deer or elk. Whatever it was, Roran nervously wondered if leaving his bow at home had really been the best idea./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Papa, what is it?" Ismira whispered, curiosity having apparently won out over fear./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "I'm not sure, sweetheart, this is my first time seeing one, too." Roran replied. "It's very pretty, though, isn't it? It has red hair like you and Mama."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Ismira smiled, pleased both at having finally learned about something before a grown-up did, and at her father's approval of her discovery. Roran couldn't help but smile too; even though he was a father, husband, war hero, and leader, he loved that there were still things in this world that could give him a sense of childlike wonder./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" As soon as he thought that, however, the animal suddenly took a few steps back and leapt forward, clearing the stream in a single leap and landing just a few yards away from where Roran and Ismira crouched. Instinctively, Roran scooped up his daughter and held her tightly, ignoring her grunt of protest. "Don't worry," he whispered, glancing down at her. "Just be very quiet, I won't let it hurt you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" As soon as Roran said it, however, the animal had somehow managed to casually approach the pair before he could react. Heart in his throat, all Roran could do was stand there helplessly as the animal curiously sniffed him and his daughter. Once it was satisfied, the animal looked up at Roran, snorted softly, and began to walk upstream, occasionally glancing back at him and impatiently pawing the ground./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Papa, let's follow him," Ismira said, as Roran set her back down./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Roran sighed, running a hand through his short, brown hair. As much as he took pride in raising such a fearless child, there was a huge difference between bravery and recklessness. "No, sweetheart," he explained gently. "That's a wild animal. Following him would only scare him, and some animals can be very dangerous when they get scared."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "But – "/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "No, Ismira." Roran said, more sternly this time. "It's not safe. Come along now, I think I saw some blackberry bushes right over – "/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "MEHHH!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The animal had managed to return unnoticed, and was now bleating and nuzzling Roran's head. As he tried to push it away, the animal instead took his sleeve in its teeth, giving the fabric a firm tug. To Ismira, seeing the animal acting like a rambunctious dog toward her father was simply delightful./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "He likes you, Papa! I think he's somebody's lost farm ammi-nal!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "You know," Roran said, tentatively stroking the creature's snout. "I think you might be right. He's quite tame."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Ismira lifted her arms toward the animal, which lowered its head and offered its muzzle for more petting. Roran racked his brain, trying to figure out where it might have come from. Finally, as his daughter befriended the strange creature, Roran settled on what he thought was the most likely explanation./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Every year, after the harvest, the town of New Carvahall held a Harvest Festival that hosted a number of traders from far and wide. Most of the visitors' goods were relatively commonplace, such as food and household essentials that couldn't be found in Palencar Valley, but ever since the boom in the local economy, there were also a fair number of luxury merchants, mostly selling things such as precious stones and spices. Occasionally, though, there would be one or two traders from the latter category who had something truly unique for sale./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Last year, for example, one merchant claiming to be from a country far to the south of Alagaësia ran a stall that dealt exclusively in what she called "exotic livestock." Most were simply breeds of chickens or dogs that were native to other regions, but a few of her animals were definitely a sight to behold. Several species of songbirds flapped and chirped in wicker cages, each more extravagantly plumed than the last. The trader even stocked a few glass jars of live fish that were just as colorful as her birds, although hardly anyone was interested in buying fish that couldn't be eaten./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" emYes,/em Roran thought to That must be where this animal came from/em. Although he couldn't remember seeing this particular species among the trader's menagerie, it wasn't too unlikely that this animal had simply gotten loose on the road to New Carvahall, and had been living in the Spine all this time. Luckily, it was only a few weeks until this year's Harvest Festival, so maybe the merchant would come back looking for her lost animal./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "I think I know where he comes from," Roran explained, taking Ismira's hand on his left side and one of the creature's horns on his right. "Come on, Ismira, let's go home and put him in the barn. I'll have to speak with Mama about what to do with him, but we can take another walk afterwards. How does that sound, sweetheart?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Okay, Papa!" The little girl was ecstatic at the prospect of the animal coming to stay with them, even if it was only for a little while. Maybe she'd even get a chance to show him to her friend Hope, the blacksmith's daughter. Although she was only a few months older than Ismira, Hope was already much taller and stronger than the other girl, and could sometimes be quite the show-off. How impressed would Hope be with Ismira's discovery, especially after learning she'd found such a pretty animal all by herself!/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Suddenly, a thought occurred to Ismira that excited her even more than one-upping her friend. Simply having an exotic, majestic animal living in your family's barn was one matter, but being able to emride/em the thing? Now emthat/em would be fun!/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Papa?" she asked, looking up at her father with her softest, most doe-eyed expression. "Do you think maybe I could sit on his back and ride him home? I promise not to squirm or fall off. Pleeeeease?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Normally, Roran would have absolutely refused to let his daughter do something so dangerous. For starters, they barely knew this animal; hell, they didn't even know it was domesticated until just a few moments ago! What if having someone on its back spooked it badly enough that it suddenly turned aggressive? Roran wouldn't be able to live with himself if Ismira suffered so much as a scratch because of his carelessness. On the other hand, though he couldn't explain why, something told him that there wouldn't be any harm in at least letting Ismira try. At the very least, wasn't it important to let children take risks every once in a while?/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Oh, I suppose you can. Just for a little bit, and for the gods' sakes, don't tell your mother."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" As if it could sense the child wanting a ride, the animal bent its forelimbs, lowering its body until Ismira could comfortably settle herself on its back./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Yay!" she cried, tightly gripping the long, coarse fur on the animal's neck. "Thank you, Papa! Thank you, Fluffy!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Roran laughed as the animal stood back up, once again taking hold of one of its horns. "Fluffy?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Ismira's expression turned as serious as a three-year-old's could be. "Ammi-nals need names, Papa. He's got lots of fur on his neck, so his name is Fluffy."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Hm. I guess I can't argue with that!" Roran smiled, turning back the way they came. "Come on now, Fluffy. Let's go home!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" As soon as Roran began to coax the animal back towards New Carvahall, it suddenly wrenched its horns in the opposite direction, pulling the young man through a shallow part of the creek and along the shore heading upstream. Despite Roran's best efforts to turn it around, the creature seemed determined to follow this particular trail./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Papa?" Although happy to be able to ride the animal emand/em extend their forest expedition, Ismira was beginning to have her doubts about this turn of events./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Well," Roran sighed, stumbling along beside the trotting animal. "It looks like we'll be out here a bit longer than I thought."/p 


End file.
